Clamping apparatus



Aug. 23, 1932- s. D. BUTTERWORTH CLAMPING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1931 INVENTOR. SAMUEL L! BUTTERWORTH ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 23, 1932 SAMUEL D. BUTTERWORTH,-

JOSEPHINE- ivr. BUTTERWOR'I'H, BLE, or GABLE, sou'rn cAnoLIN OF DETKOIE.

F DETROI'I, MICHIGAN, AND ONIii-131151113 TO C. P.

MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR or one-1mm 'ro cLAMrING ArrnnA'rUs T Application filed. January 2,193 1.

This invention relates to an apparatus which employs a device in'the nature ofa press and devices 'inthe nature'of clamps, and which pose of securing llengths ofwood together,

which may ilater ,be cut into wooden tiles'for use in floors, panels, or other woodwork.

The object of the invention is'the provision of an apparatus wherein aplurality of .;1 o long lengths'of wood may be glued together with uniformpressure I distributed throughout the length of the lengths of wo od, and in which a composite length of woodmay'be held in tightly compressed position after 15 being removed from the pressure-applying device to permit use of the device for'succeeding lengthsof woodwhich are glued together. In the accompanying drawing: I Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device con- QO structed in accordance with the invention; 7 Fig. 2 is a section takenon line 2%2 o Fig.1. f Fig. 3 is'a detail view of the clamping members. r

Fig. 4: is a section taken" on line H of Ina cope ding application-I'havedescribed a method for the making of wooden end grain tile useful for floors, and in this -80 glued together to form acompositelength of wood, and then this composite length of'wood is sliced up into end grain tile. 1 Such a composite length of wood is shown at 1 in the accompanying drawing, and as viewed inFi'g. 2, is composed of four lengths of wood-,2, each similar in cross section, ands central length of wood 8.

These several lengths of wood are glued together to form an end design, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and from the compositelengthof wood the tiles are severed. The apparatus for gluing these long strips of wood together consists of a base 5 which may be suitably supported upon a table or the like (not shown) or which in itself may be provided with supporting legs. This table is provided with a plurality of blocks 6, each being recessed for receiving a clamp, as will later 5 be more clearly described. 1 The device may is especially useful for thepurmethod a number of'lengths' of wood' are' seriai'n some; include end uprights 7 which support a shaft 8 journ'aled-at 9 and havingan end wheel 10 with operating handle 11.

At'spaced points along'the shaft the same is provided with a'gear 12 each for engagementwith a rack-like plunger 13; A i tudinally extending support or brace 15 may be provided which has openings 16 for guiding the plungers 1 3 and which may also support journals 17 i for the shaft. As illustrated in like plunger is bifurcated uch in the form of an inverted Y as shown at 18.

" Aclamping device is shown in Fig. 2, and which consists of two halves 20 and 21, and the arms of one half are bifurcated, whereas the arms of theother half are reducedin thickness near their ends so that they may interfit, as shown in Fig. 4. In this figure the half 20 has arms with reduced ends 22,

f whereas the half 21 has arms with bifurcated "portions 23. The two bifurcated parts are apertured as at 2% and the .part 22 i's bifurcated as at 25, and these apertures are adapted to'align to receive awedge 26; Preferably the apertures in the arms are positioned at a ,angle to the arms. a I

[Where the" composite block, the members of which are gh ed'together, is to be square "in" cross section, these clamps may form a square, asshowmalthough an oblong or other 1 shape may be used. In securing together 'anumber of Wooden lengths for a composite length of'wood, the sections 21 of the several clamps are placed in the recessed blocks '6 with thesections 20 detached therefrom. The several pieces of wood may now be built up,'b'eing supported by the arms of the clamp part 21 with a suitable glue'havingbe'en disf posed between the abutting faces of the lengths of'wood. WVhereupon the uppersections 20 of the clamps may be placed over the composite length of wood. thus built up with the endsof'the arms clamping devices interfitting as shown in Fig.2. j

The plungers' are now actuated to bring the inverted jY-shaped members ,18 down into contact with theyclamps by means "of ro- 7 tating the hand wheel 10. The plungers' are brought down with sufficient force to tightly 6G Fig. 2 the lower end of each rackto hold the articles thus raised. The composite length of wood with' the clamps applied thereto maybe lifted from the press device and laid" aside until the glue is sufliciently dry. This permits use of the press again in repeated operations without involvingthe necessity of keeping the press inoperative while the glue is drying. It will be understood that with one of such press devices there may be used a multiplicity of clamps.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for the purpose described, comprising incomb'nation a press having a plurality of plungers, a V-shaped supporting member positioned below each plunger, a V-shaped part of a clamp adapted to be supported by each supporting member, said supporting members being recessed for receiving and holding said clamp parts, said clamping parts being adapted to receive a plurality of articles to be attached together, complementary clamping parts of inverted V-shape adapted to fit over the articles, means for actuating the plungers to engage the complementary clamp parts to "urge the clamp parts together and compress said articles, means forsecuring'the clamp parts together compressed whereby to permit ofremoval from the press of the articles together with the clamps.

'An apparatus for the purpose described,

comprismg in combination'a press having a plurality of plungers, a V-shaped supporting member positioned below each plunger, a V-shaped part of a clamp adapted to be supported by each supporting member, said clamp parts being adapted to receive a plurality of articles to be attached together, complementary clamp parts of inverted V- shape adapted to fit over the articles, means 1 for actuating the plungers to engage the complementary clamp parts to urge the clamp parts together and compress said articles,

means for securing the clamp parts together to hold the articles thus compressed whereby to permit of removal of the articles together with the clamps from the press.

3. An apparatus for the purpose described, comprising in combination a press having a plurality of plungers, a V-shaped supporting member positioned below each plunger, a,

each of said arms said apertures being normally aligned whereby the wedge draws thetwo rality of articles to be attached together, complementary clamp parts of inverted V-shape adapted to fit over the articles, means for actuating the plungers to engage the complementary clamp parts to urge the'clamp parts together and compress said articles, means for securing the clamp parts together to hold the articles thus compressed whereby to permit of removal of the articles together with the clamps from the press, said plungers having an inverted Y-shaped member for engaging with the corner of the said complementary parts of the clamps.

4. A cl-amp'ingdevice comprising a mem ber of angle construction having a pair of angularly disposed arms, a similarly shaped complementary member, said members being adapted to cooperate to form an area between them for the reception clamped and with their arms overlapping, each of said arms being apertured, and a wedge adapted to be driven through the apertures of the overlapped arms to urge the complementary members together in clamping relation.

5. A clamping devlce comprising a member of angle construction having a pair of angularly disposed arms, a similarly shaped complementaryfmember, said members being adapted to'cooperate to form an area between them for the reception of articles to be clamped and with their arms overlapping, I being apertured, and a wedge adapted to be tures of the overlapped arms'to urge the complementary members together in clamping relation, said apertures being relatively elongated and being disposed at an anglesubdirection of extension stantially 45 from the of its respective arm.

. 6. A clamping device comprising a memof articles to be driven through the aper- .1

ber ofangle construction having a pair of ,angularly disposed arms, a similarly shaped said members being.

complementary member, adapted to oooperate to form an area between them for the reception of articles to be clamped and with their arms overlapping, some of said arms being bifurcated and others bein reduced in cross section the reduced 7 portion fitting between the bifurcated parts, the arms having apertures through the bifurcated parts and reduced portion, and a wedge adapted tobe driven in the apertures,

partially discomplementary members together in clamping relation. I

In testimony whereof I afi'ix my signature.

. SAMUEL D. BUTTERVJOETH.

V-shapedpart of a clamp adapted to be sup- 

